image of a man blogging

The evolution of blogging

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What started for many as a creative outlet has now become a full-time career, as our Influencer Survey 2020 showed there is a record number of bloggers who are professional, with their work providing their main source of income.

At Vuelio, one of the things we’re famous for is our weekly blog rankings, celebrating the top 10 blogs across a huge variety of categories, including mainstream topics such as fashion and parenting to more niche interests like craft and beer. Many of these bloggers have told us they started out wanting a place to share their thoughts on topics and issues close to their heart. With the explosion of influencer marketing over recent years, blogging for a lot of those in our rankings has gone from being a hobby to a full-time job, with blogging now an established career path.

Not only has blogging become a profession, but blogs have become credible sources of information, with people following their favourites for recipe inspiration, beauty tips or fitness workouts – all of which have been particularly useful in lockdown! This has allowed creators and their audiences to share experiences and led to the creation of new communities.

A perfect example of community is with mental health bloggers. Last month we sponsored the Mental Health Blog Awards, which brought together and celebrated the work of those blogging, podcasting and vlogging about mental health.

And in a few months, we’ll be celebrating our own community of bloggers, vloggers, podcasters and influencers at the annual Online Influence Awards. For the first time, nominations are open for a chance to be shortlisted, before our independent judging panel selects winners. There are 14 categories from fashion, food and fitness to disruptor and newcomer – and entry is free.

The phrase ‘write what you know’ has never been more true when it comes to blogging, so whether you’re passionate about pets or bonkers for baking why not get creative and share your love through the power of words with your very own blog – and if it’s before 9 October, you could be our next Best Newcomer.

Top 5 tips for starting a blog

1. Find your passion and stick to it – a single topic or niche can help you grow a loyal and engaged audience

2. Don’t waste time trying to be everywhere at once – work out what channels work, and don’t work, for you

3. Post consistently – if it’s once a week or once a day, a consistent schedule keeps your audience engaged

4. Read other blogs and comment – blogging is a community, you don’t have to be part of it but if you’re looking to reach more people then the community can help you grow

5. Make sure you’re listed in Vuelio – only blogs listed in the Vuelio Media Database can be ranked in our top 10s

tips for selling in a crisis

How to sell in a pandemic

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This is a guest post from Darryl Sparey, Managing Director at Hard Numbers.

“I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell / I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well.”

These are the words of philosopher, poet, business mogul, tech entrepreneur, philanthropist and billionaire Shawn Corey Carter, also known by a host of other nicknames, including Jay-Z.

And that ‘can-do’ spirit, the mindset that whatever adverse conditions you face you will find a way to succeed, the focus on results over externalities, are things that definitely speak to anyone founding an agency or a business in a global pandemic, and the ensuing recession that has followed it. The market conditions aren’t quite ‘hell’, but they’re not far from it.

And yet new agencies abound in 2020, despite the challenging headwinds that face us. Coldr, Shook, Play, Boldspace, Mixology Communications, Priestley, Authentic Comms, Made by Giants, and a host of others have all started in the last few months. And another agency that’s been added to this crowded starting line-up is my own, Hard Numbers. The thing that will define success or failure for all of these agencies, including my own, will be our ability to create opportunities to pitch for and competitively win new business.

Fortunately for me and the Hard Numbers team, I’ve a wee bit of experience on the business development side of things, which has been incredibly useful in the last few weeks. So here’s a few things I’ve learned from the last twenty years, which I’ve been putting into practice in the last two months or so…

1) Have a demonstrable, provable point of difference
There are thousands of agencies out there, and as many freelancers. It’s a buyers’ market. So your proposition needs to be genuinely differentiated. You need to have a unique selling point which is of benefit to your prospective client, and defensible externally. And ‘we’ve got great people’ or ‘we’ve won awards’ does not cut the mustard, because everyone else is saying that.

2) Have an idea of your ICP/define your Ideal Customer Prospect
This should be based on your current or previous client expertise, and the desired sectors you want to grow in. You should know the size and stage of business that you do your best work for, and the verticals they are in (clue: it is NOT ‘B2B businesses’) and the typical role that you sell into within these organisations. Then go and find these prospects online. This is your prospect database.

3) Shy bairns get nowt
My fiancé is from the North East, and she bought me a keyring with this saying on. It goes everywhere with me, literally. And it means, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Business is not won by waiting for people to ask you.

4) Always be getting commitment
Like shell suits, smoking in PG movies and Calvin Harris tunes, ‘always be closing’ was acceptable in the 80s. But things are different now. At every stage of the sales process, you should be looking to secure your prospects’ commitment to the next stage. If not, you’ll run the very distinct risk of being ghosted, and there’s no Peter Venkman or Egon Spengler to help you out in that scenario.

5) Make time for new business
Too many agency owners run to the comfort of existing client work, or think that ‘liking’ stuff their prospects put on LinkedIn is sales. You need to carve out dedicated time in a disciplined fashion on a weekly basis to make approaches, set-up calls and meetings, and get in front of your target prospects.

6) Use a CRM
You cannot manage a pipeline effectively on a shared Google doc or spreadsheet. Invest in a CRM system to help you manage your contacts, visualise and forecast your pipeline, and execute marketing campaigns. HubSpot is a CRM which is free to use, and there are many others like Pipedrive, Sugar CRM, Copper, Insightly and, the big one, Salesforce. If you’re serious about it, plug this data into QuarterOne, and give yourself unrivalled ability to forecast pipeline. If you’re at a larger agency and you’re REALLY serious about it, use Kluster’s AI product to diagnose problems in your sales acquisition strategy.

If you do all of the above, you’ve got more than a puncher’s chance of having success, in any climate. And whether you find yourself in the coldest winter, with nothing to sell but ice, or somewhere rather hotter (which, frankly could be anywhere in the UK based on mid-August) with just fire to shift, you’ll be OK.

Crafts on Sea bee

Crafty Blogger Spotlight: Kate Williams, Crafts on Sea

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If you’re running low on ideas when it comes to your next family macramé project, or you just want to know what that word means (pro tip: a textile that uses knotting techniques), Kate Williams has all the makings for cute crafts for kids at Crafts on Sea.

In today’s Spotlight, Kate talks scavenger hunts during lockdown, downloadable trees and the importance of paying people for their work.

What keeps you passionate about craft and blogging about it?
I think like a lot of people, I go through phases where I just get a block and think there’s literally nothing else new left to make, but then I have an idea and suddenly my notebooks are filled with things to make. I started this week with no ideas, and by Wednesday I was running around the garden with my daughter making and photographing. Once it’s photographed, I’m desperate to share it!

What originally got you into creating things?
After I had my son, I started my blog as a way of sharing the things that I was making, sewing, silversmithing, that sort of thing. Then I realised that my kids’ crafts were way more popular than mine, so I stuck with that!

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
Having both children at home has meant that I’ve had much less time available to work, as looking after them is my main priority (I realise that I’m very privileged to be able to just drop things a bit and concentrate on them). During the main part of lockdown, I wrote up a scavenger hunt that I’d made for them to do with their cousins on Zoom and that was a big hit. So many parents are in the same boat trying to think of ways to keep our kids entertained.

Do you think those who took up knitting/sewing/other traditional crafts during lockdown will continue now it’s being relaxed?
I hope so. I know quite a few friends who’ve taken up embroidery or macramé and their crafts have looked fantastic.

One craft you’d love to master but haven’t quite managed it yet?
Crochet. I’ve tried a few times but I think I just don’t have the patience for it.

Favourite crafty ideas you’ve shared on your blog?
I have a tree template that kids can decorate. During lockdown, I realised a lot of schools were linking to it for kids to use and that made me really happy!

How important is it for people to pay crafters and artists for what they create?
Everyone I know who is a craft blogger does it as a proper job that pays their mortgage. It’s absolutely fine (and a good thing!) to create purely for the joy of it but if it’s as your work then obviously there’s a financial obligation involved with that which I think most people understand.

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I love it when brands have a clear idea of what they want but likewise it’s good to be able to suggest things that I think will appeal to my audience.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
Just email me. I’m always happy to discuss what’s worked well previously and how we could learn from that to create something new.

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether craft-related or not)?
Maggie who writes Red Ted Art and Cerys at Rainy Day Mum are both lovely people and write fantastic blogs.

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LesBeMum's Kate Everall (Left)

LGBTQ+ Blogger Spotlight Kate Everall, LesBeMums

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‘Listen and learn! The best thing people can do is educate themselves on basic terms such as pronouns and to not make so many assumptions,’ says Kate Everall, who blogs about LGBTQ+ issues and life with her wife Sharon and their family at LesBeMums.

Read on for how Kate continues to campaign for her community despite the COVID-19 lockdown and how to celebrate Pride from home in August.

How did you originally get started with writing about LGBTQ+ issues?
Pretty much as soon as we started trying for a baby! We’ve always been active members of our community, but we never put pen to paper. So, when we started documenting our conception journey (and then later our family life) it was rare that we didn’t speak about comparisons with heterosexual families and how LGBTQ+ people are still underrepresented.

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
Just like any other parent, I LOVE talking about my child, but second place to that are LGBTQ-related topics such as LGBTQ-inclusive books for children or ways people can be better allies to our community. Anything that will basically increase visibility and raise awareness.

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
I’ve certainly had to balance my time a bit better and make use of scheduling tools! Children don’t quite understand the terms ‘deadlines’ or ‘Mummy needs to jump on to a Zoom call’. Plus, with my wife also working from home, our poor WiFi has been stretched to the limit!

How did you celebrate Pride this year?
Virtually! With the cancellations of Pride events we had to take our campaigning to social media. Jamie (Daddy & Dad) and I even set up ‘Pride At Home UK’ to encourage rainbow families and allies to get together at the end of August to wash social media with rainbows.

Have you been covering the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ issues on your blog?
I’ve always thought our blog was inclusive and diverse, but we could absolutely do more! My main outlet for getting messages out there has primarily been on social media, as blogs aren’t often fast enough to get a message out there, but over the next few weeks I intend on writing about ways I plan to tackle racism and how I can be a better ally to BIPOC communities. This is so I can hold myself accountable as well as encourage others to have the same conversations.

What is one thing you wish straight cis people would take on in their day to day lives to be better allies to LGBTQ+ people?
Listen and learn! It’s no longer acceptable to automatically think that families are made up of one husband and one wife. Even today I find myself coming out to people, having to correct their assumption that I have a husband or that my son has a father. The best thing people can do is educate themselves on basic terms such as pronouns and to not make so many assumptions.

Do you think people should boycott Harry Potter books in light of JK Rowling’s sharing of harmful ideologies?
I was devastated when I read what JKR had written about the Trans community, but that didn’t make me want to burn all my Harry Potter merchandise. I think people should avoid giving people like JKR a platform, but the universe she’s created is still important as it’s a community in itself. There are people who have become the people they are today by reading Harry Potter and I think it still deserves a space in society. That being said, I may think twice about endorsing anything in future that may line her pockets!

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
Collaborations seem to come like buses at the moment. I can go months between campaigns (which is a perfect time to do some admin!) and then suddenly I’m working flat out, so I don’t really have any advice in regards to keeping the work flowing. For me though, the most important thing about working with brands and building those relationships is being genuine. We only work with brands we genuinely like, and more often than not, I’ve been a customer of theirs in the past anyway. Engage with their content and show them what you have to offer.

I love working with family brands who are inclusive and diverse, as well as those who are generous with their time and transparent with disclosure! It’s so reassuring to see a contract that says work MUST be suitably advertised as such and when I’ve been given ample time to create the best work. Some of the best collaborations have been when respect is given from both sides.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
Most the time, my DMs are always open on social media, but once the conversation starts to go down the route of collaborations (and money!) I prefer to move onto email.

We’re a pretty mixed bag content wise (although we haven’t yet ventured much into YouTube), but if you want a bright and colourful family to showcase your brand (or holiday resort! Haha!) then look no further. Being an LGBTQ+ family, we like to think we bring something different to the table.

What other blogs do you check out regularly?
Gosh, where do I start? My reading list is ever-changing, but at the moment I’m currently reading (and watching) Sareta Fontaine and the back catalogues of Tinuke Bernard, who was previously CircusMum.com. I also love catching up on the adventures of Two Dads UK.

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Mental Health Blog Awards

Mental Health Blog Awards Moves To Online Delivery

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This is a guest post by Mike Douglas, host of the Mental Health Blog Awards and blogger at Mike’s Open Journal.

On Saturday 25th July 2020, I hosted the third Mental Health Blog Awards. Once again, I was proud and privileged to be the host, but this year was very different.

The Beginning
After 18 months of planning, the first Mental Health Blog Awards was held in Portsmouth on the final Saturday in July 2018, bringing together like-minded passionate individuals who were invested in mental health blogging.

Inclusion was a big part of the planning for me. I know you can never do everything, but I really wanted everyone to have the option to attend. So venues had to have accessible rooms and toilets, I wanted to make sure there was an outside space (for anyone that wanted or needed to take a break from the event), and there needed to be space for our speakers (which we added to our programme for that second year). Additionally, a good line of sight and lighting for those that may have difficulties hearing or not wanting to be sat ‘at the front’.

I am hugely delighted that we are able to hold the awards ceremony and provide that recognition to our winners.. Their wins showed that mental health blogging is recognised, respected, valued and is helping people tofeel less alone andto signpost to resources and support. It’s helping people become more educated, including knowing that mental health is not just about illness. It can be and is, about our wellbeing, about the things we do to feel good, happy, positive. You don’t need to have experienced a diagnosable illness to talk about mental health.

Replanning 2020
This year was more than a little different. A worldwide pandemic made our planned venue for 2020 in Oxford inaccessible and the whole day had to be rethought. Fairly quickly the plan was made to shift to an online event, there were limited options available.Honestly, it was online or cancel.

I was super fortunate to have some amazing speakers who agreed to adapt slightly and record their sessions before the event, so they could be played as a pre-recorded section. This proved to be a huge plus on the day, as the sessions could be lined up and signal/ connection was slightly less of a concern. Additionally, this meant our speakers where available to reply live via the chat box to attendees thoughts, feedback and questions.

That interaction was key to keeping the day running and ensuring a good flow throughout the day. With the event running 11.30am/12pm to 4pm attendees wellbeing was a big consideration when replanning the event. In addition to the planned midway break, short intervals were added after each workshop, with the encouragement that attendees looked away from the screen for five minute intervals and moved around. Four+ hours is a long time to be on a video call, so these breaks became super important.
Moving to online had another big change – no big hugs, waves across the room, no private chats with that person you know from online but are now meeting for the first time. That was something I really noticed and something I still think about.

But whoosh, the positive. Having no location, being online massively fitted in with the idea of being more accessible and having attendees from across the UK showed that there is a desire to attend from people that may not be able to travel to a location because of the travel time or cost. Having an online option really fits well with one of our key themes, being inclusive/ accessible – keeping an online option is definitely something that will be looked at for 2021.

Looking Forward
There is a growing number of tasks, thought processes and considerations that need to be made with an event such as this. I am super-glad that from September 2020 there will be MHBA Community Leaders who will be helping me with the evolution of the Awards and our journey moving forward.

One group of people I have not mentioned yet is our sponsors, these awesome people have helped the event run, provide insight, support and encouragement at needed times. A huge thanks to our sponsors who this year were: Damien Smith, Know Yourself Podcast, Big Man Beard, Mental Movement Magazine, Instant Counselling and Vuelio.

I am delighted there was still a Mental Health Blog Awards 2020, but being honest it was a lot of effort and stress. Hopefully we are in person next year, but whatever happens, however the event is delivered; I feel much more confident that we can be hosted online and that it opens up possibilities for us in terms of inclusion and accessibility. I look forward to hopefully seeing some of you at next year’s Mental Health Blog Awards.

BlAME game

The BlAME game

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Charlotte KingThis is a guest post from Charlotte King, fellowships and communications coordinator at the Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Leicester. Her work here is her own views and does not reflect those of the university.

The pandemic has profoundly impacted the ways in which we think about health and risk within and beyond our immediate community. While common anxieties surround the frank fear of death and wellbeing, nothing has exposed societal inequalities quite like COVID-19. 

Our information environment has engaged with the somewhat misleading meta-narrative that the virus is an equaliser, yet ‘we’re all in this together’ is a more problematic phrase for those experiencing the brunt of the pandemic than those often responsible for producing the messaging. If our understanding of society is largely shaped by information flow through the platforms we access, there is an inherent danger that our perception is tainted by bias frames toward particular socio-political issues. As the city of Leicester experienced the first prolonged lockdown in the UK, the narrative of the pandemic soon became discriminatory against BAME communities, many of whom already experience systematic racism.

Many have noted the messaging that BAME communities are at increased risk, yet few messages illustrate why this is the case. The lack of clarity has led to a stigma surrounding BAME communities which has seen an exacerbation from anti-Asian sentiment to the targeting of BAME communities more widely. While it is clear that those who have continued employment in the workplace are more exposed to the virus than those sheltering, what is less clear is how our personal environments disproportionately impact the agency one has over their health and risk-taking during this time.

Multi-dimensional factors surrounding underlying health conditions, access to healthcare and health communications, class, employment, diet and the status of accommodation all reveal disproportionate ways in which people are able to adhere to health guidance. While these are far too expansive to discuss here, it is important to note that the issue of inequality and public health is sensitive, and far too complex to understand through hegemonic stories surrounding it.

Here I will unpack just a few issues on disproportionate vulnerability. Economic stability has weighed on the minds of many in the UK, and those who are pressured into working during the pandemic are undoubtedly exposed to an extent others are not. Adding salt to the wound, there is a disproportionate effect on BAME communities through the lens of economic stability. This divide is further emphasised by those who lack the luxury of social distancing, contributing towards the extent to which one can safely operate during the pandemic. This reveals a profound disparity between the rich and poor, and while many experience mental health concerns during lockdown, it is evident that it is not the same for everybody.

Alongside circumstantial differences, language also plays a significant role for migrant communities. Leicester City Council distributed health guidance in a variety of the main languages spoken within the city, yet this is an anomaly to otherwise English-dominant communications. The danger surrounding this is the further stigmatisation of migrants on the basis of immersion and integration, when discussion of public health should remain an issue of health as a human right; regardless of language, race, gender or nationality. As researchers and scientists are working hard to demystify the issue of ethnicity, class and health, it must be brought to the forefront of public opinion, through the narrative of public health, that the alienation of certain groups within a profoundly multicultural nation is causing a rift among UK citizens.

Generally, when it comes to public health, we have cultivated a culture of trust between ourselves and the top-down news stories. Yet the human aspect behind the BAME story is omitted from headlines, unmasking the frailty of our society. As we move our news sources online, algorithms cause us to become, often unknowingly, immersed into dominant stories and misinformation, undermining a complete narrative to be shaped when it comes to public health. Herein lies the paradox of pluralistic societies; we live side by side with differential signifiers of our times, with little common understanding of our wider cultural makeup.

We have a societal responsibility to incorporate BAME stories into our national health narrative, or the profound effects of alienation and systemic discrimination of BAME communities will be exacerbated to an unknown end. A bottom-up approach would demand a shift towards a more divisive social understanding, and would offer a platform for the all too often silenced voices to be heard, rather than blanketed through the stories we currently receive.

For the pandemic, a fundamentally human story, we are missing the perspective of so many, causing us to drift further away from having the complete picture of how our society is coping with the current context.

Work-related stress

CIPR survey finds mental health of 8 in 10 PRs has been impacted by COVID-19

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82% of PR and communications professionals surveyed by CIPR’s Health Group answered ‘yes’ to having felt an impact on their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.

The survey, exploring the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on those within the industry, asked questions focusing on the pandemic’s effect on both teams and individuals, how prepared companies had been, as well the continuing value of communications. The results show an industry working harder than ever through increasingly stressful times, on both personal and professional levels.

Findings from the CIPR Health Group:

– Nearly 50% of PR practitioners have been working longer hours, with one-third of practitioners working an extra 1-2 hours per day. Over 15% have been working five or more extra hours a day
– Around 85% worked overtime unpaid
– Just over 59% have seen their role and responsibilities change as a result of COVID-19
– 28% hadn’t taken any annual leave
– Less than a quarter had accessed mental health support over the last six months
– More than half of respondents said their organisation placed ‘a lot’ of value on communications during the crisis

That PR practitioners are pushing themselves to the limit while working through such challenging circumstances follows on from the flagging of mental health issues within the industry in last year’s CIPR State of the Profession survey. The 2019 report found a quarter (23%) of PRs had taken sickness absence from work on the grounds of stress, anxiety or depression.

Speaking on the results from the latest survey of its members, CIPR Health Group Chair Rachel Royall summed up the extraordinary stress happening within the industry: ‘Many people have made huge personal sacrifices in relation to not being able to see vulnerable family members, to dealing with the challenges of bereavement or family members being diagnosed with illness. Many individuals were furloughed, or grappled with maintaining their business, not to mention the stress of homeschooling.

‘I have been astounded by the excellence in professional practice that I have observed over the last few months – however, we must now make sure we look after our healthcare comms community and their wellbeing. Check in on your colleagues, take a break and be kind to yourself.’

To help with the increased pressures of work during the pandemic, free access to the iprovision Mental Health Hotline, accredited counsellors, as well as support for those with personal, legal and financial difficulties, has been made available by the CIPR to its members.

Read more from the results of this CIPR Health Group survey on the website.

Natalie Trice

4 ways to celebrate your wins – big, small or hardly there at all

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This is a guest post from Natalie Trice, award winning PR coach and lecturer.

While PE with Joe Wicks, growing veg in the garden, and clapping for carers on Thursday nights may have been part of the honeymoon period of COVID-19, nearly six months into this ‘new normal’ and there is no denying that for some PR professionals it’s been a hard slog.

Going to networking and attending meetings, catching up with colleagues, after work drinks with friends and simply having the freedom to do as you please, are an integral part of the job, and when they’re snatched away all of a sudden, things can start to feel a little bit fragile and the ‘not good enough’ gremlins can come crawling back to you haunt you.

Let’s face it, working in PR is great but it also takes nerves of steel, bags of resilience and a tenacious spirit to get on with the job and keep coming up with the goods. When you are pitching into a void, your press contacts are on furlough and client budgets are being cut faster than the banana bread you’ve been baking for the past few months, it’s little surprise you might start questioning yourself and your abilities.

Everyone’s situation is different, and the pandemic is coming at us all at different angles, but those age-old feelings of not being good enough can snap at our heels when we least expect it and Imposter Syndrome has a tendency to make an unwelcome appearance when the chips are down, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

I have some tips to share with you that I hope will help you to keep calm and carry on the way I know you can.

1) Forget the filters
Yes, it might seem that everyone else has got their stuff together on social media, but look beyond the posts and think about what is really going on. Seeing daily client wins on Facebook and cool, colourful co-ordinated content on Instagram isn’t always a true reflection of what is really happening (I’ve been known to bribe my kids for perfect pics), so don’t let those things dial-up the negative frequencies in your life. Look at the content you put out there, see how true you are being to yourself, cheer on your peers but just keep the filters in check, and remember that we never really know what is going on with someone else.

2) Remember that this isn’t the end of the world
Rather than going right for the worst-case scenario, that it’s all going totally wrong, just steady yourself and see what your truth is. When your mind wanders towards worry and the frightening feelings of uncertainty return, refocus your mind on the present moment, look at what you can do in the here and now and remember, you are going to get through this. Yes, losing work and having uncertainty about the career you have been working hard to build over the years isn’t great, but putting one foot in front of the other, looking at what you still have to do and creating a plan, is one way to move ahead.

3) Get it down on paper
I haven’t kept a diary for many years, but over the past few months I’ve started to do it again, and love it. It’s part thoughts, part memes, the odd drawing, a lot of lists and at the end of the day I write down three good things – something that we do in The PR Pro Hub as well. I won’t be winning any Booker Prizes for my journal, but it’s great to have somewhere to get my thoughts out of my head and onto paper, and it could help you too.

4) Celebrate your wins
Big, small or hardly there at all – a win, is a win. You might think that you can only shout about a new job or a client getting a double page spread in The Times, but to get there you will have taken many smaller steps and they all deserve some recognition. Whether it’s finally doing your accounts, writing a blog post for your website or even drinking a hot cuppa without reheating it in the microwave, twice, give yourself a break and see the progress you are making.

Remember that you can do this. Things might feel tough right now, but they will get better.

Find out more about Natalie Trice’s work at her website. Her three-month group programme The PR Pro Collective launches in September.

Heart Handmade UK

A Crafty Blogger Spotlight with Claire Donovan, Heart Handmade UK

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If the rising summer heat has you happy to stay indoors this weekend, try out a new hobby with help from Claire Donavan of Heart Handmade UK. Crafting doesn’t have to be too complicated, as Claire shares tutorials and mini-courses that won’t take up too much energy but will result in something pretty cool. Unless it’s inking calligraphy while on a new Chaise Lounge – leave that craft to the experts…

What keeps you passionate about craft and blogging about it?
Craft has been the one constant in the past 13 years that has been great for my mental health. The fact that I was able to deal with a mystery illness that ended up being a rare genetic disorder (which we didn’t discover for eight years), experiencing a brand new seizure disorder, years of hospital visits, tests, becoming bed bound then housebound…

Crafting and creativity is the light that shone for me and continues to shine. Blogging about it is my way of sharing my skills and contributing to society through my business. It’s part of a great coping strategy that also ends up decorating my home in the most stunning way. I’m physically unable to do a lot of things, but I can make stuff and do it well. Why would I not cultivate that passion!?

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
My approach hasn’t really changed since I’ve kind of been in lockdown since 2009 and the skills people wanted to learn during that time were all on my site. Either through tutorials, list posts or mini-courses, as everything I do is fairly low energy/high ROI and almost all indoors.

Do you think those who took up knitting/sewing/other traditional crafts during lockdown will continue now it’s being relaxed?
Some will, of course, some will have found it to be incredibly relaxing and others may have found it an intensely frustrating experience.

One craft you’d love to master but haven’t quite managed it yet?
Dip pen calligraphy. After an incident with some hot pink ink and a custom-made Chaise, I haven’t returned to dip pen calligraphy. But I love it; the style is breath-taking. Those upstrokes always caused problems but I’m able to do it on the iPad now so I may venture back to dip pen calligraphy at some point.

Favourite crafty ideas you’ve shared on your blog?
There are a decades’ worth on there! I’ve created a lot of crafting templates, craft magazines and tutorials as well as having some expert guests sharing their favourite projects. My favourite craft is quite possibly the Ping Pong Polka Dot Party Lights I created using Sharpie paint pens.

How important is it for people to pay crafters and artists for what they create?
It’s incredibly important. If anyone does work, they deserve to be paid in some way. Whether it’s the reader of the free tutorial who really enjoyed it and ‘pays’ by sharing or clicking on an ad that interests them, or a brand who wants to collaborate, with a budget included. Either way, folks should be compensated if they make things for you that you use and enjoy.

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I create a photo or video tutorials or even collaborate by having something like a year-long Pinterest marketing campaign by creating a tutorial a month and sharing the collage on Pinterest to my 1.2 million followers.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
If PRs want to get in touch with me, I prefer personalised emails instead of PR blasts (which I automatically delete). If they want me to do something specific, reach out, say hello, tell me what is coming up and what you would love for me to do with that information. It saves us both a lot of time and makes work much easier for us both, and helps to avoid disappointment.

Kids craft and creative content is always popular with my readers; if promoting a new book, instead of sending me a copy to review, create a guest post with an example project from the book and I would happily add it to my site.

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether craft-related or not)?
Mostly industry-related blogs like RankMath, Neil Patel and Skimlinks. A few crafty/arty blogs I enjoy are EasyOnTheTongue, KerryMayMakes and ZiniaRedo.

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DRIVEN Pledge

PRFest launches the DRIVEN Pledge

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PRFest has launched the DRIVEN Pledge to help tackle inclusion, diversity and equality issues within the PR and communications industry.

The DRIVEN Pledge tool is available free to industry leaders and professionals working to make change in their organisations and follows the launch of the DRIVEN Framework at PRFest in June.

Founder Laura Sutherland cites insight shared during this year’s panels – including Reuben Sinclair co-founder and managing director Rohan Shah’s ‘How to recruit based on values and purpose’ and the Taylor Bennett Foundation chief executive Melissa Lawrence, PRCA director general Francis Ingham, CIPR President Jenni Field and CIPR chief executive Alastair McCapra discussion of accountability – as major contributors to the DRIVEN Pledge: ‘We had really great conversations around challenges and solutions this year. This insight and content turned into the Pledge, with a view to getting practitioners to commit to change.’

‘Being collaborative is essential in my view,’ believes Laura. ‘The final event, featuring CIPR, PRCA and Taylor Bennett Foundation, was geared to being an industry-wide conversation to discuss accountability, but it was also an opportunity to be aligned and to outline why and how leaders and individual practitioners should be making progress in their own way.

‘It was essential to have these organisations involved, and to have their endorsements. As an active industry ambassador for both CIPR and PRCA, I know how important it is for both organisations to be on the same platform, for such important conversations.

‘I’ve publicly declared my pledges and now I urge practitioners, teams and agencies to make theirs!’

Francis Ingham said: ‘Our industry has faced some very hard truths in recent months about the levels of discrimination faced by Black and ethnic minority professionals. It’s essential we all proactively play our part to help the industry achieve the aspirations we have for it. I urge members and the wider industry to take the DRIVEN Pledge so we can hold each other accountable in achieving workplace diversity and inclusivity.’

For Melissa Lawrence at the Taylor Bennett Foundation, change has been too slow so far: ‘The PR industry has had an inconsistent record of successfully delivering Diversity and Inclusion programmes. Progress has been made, but at a glacial pace. PRFest’s new DRIVEN Pledge gives industry leaders a roadmap to create real change through well-meaning action.

‘This resource is fluid and allows businesses to adapt it to suit their organisations individual needs. Now is the time for change!’

Find out more about the DRIVEN Pledge on the PRFest website, and watch the video outlining the aims and inspiration behind it. For more on the work of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, read our interview with chief executive Melissa Lawrence here.

Online Influence Awards 2020

Call for nominations: The Online Influence Awards 2020

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This year’s Online Influence Awards, the UK’s leading celebration of the best bloggers, vloggers and digital storytellers, will take place on Friday 20 November, 5-7pm.

While the impact of COVID-19 has meant a move away from a physical event to an online extravaganza, Vuelio has taken the opportunity to reevaluate all aspects of the awards, from nominations and shortlisting to the announcement of winners, ensuring every part of the industry is recognised.

The launch follows the publication of the annual UK Influencer Survey, which revealed that one in five (19%) influencers say it is now their main source of income – indicating an increasing number of professional influencers. On the brand side, a recent study from TopRank Marketing found that 63% of marketers agree they would have better results if they included an influencer marketing programme.

To expand our recognition of this burgeoning industry, the 2020 all-virtual event invites influencers, as well as their fans, friends and supporters, to nominate themselves. A shortlist will be drawn from those that demonstrate the highest quality of content and impact, which will be reviewed by a judging panel of industry experts. The process is designed to be as inclusive as possible from start to finish, highlighting and celebrating true talent within the influencer community.

Entrants to this year’s awards can use any channel in their role as an influencer, from blogging and vlogging to Instagramming and Podcasting. The 16 categories for this year’s Online Influence Awards are:

Arts & Entertainment

Beauty

Parenting

Food & Drink

Health & Fitness

Interior Design

LGBTQ+

Fashion

Travel & Leisure

Current Affairs

PR & Comms

Lifestyle

Newcomer

Disruptor/Changemaker

Best Campaign

Cause-led influencer campaign

You can find the nomination form for the Online Influence Awards 2020 here – best of luck to everyone taking part.

Lucy Werner

A hyped-up spotlight on Lucy Werner, author of Hype Yourself

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For no-nonsense tips on how to hype up your business, Lucy Werner is here to help. Founder of The Wern and author of Hype Yourself: A no-nonsense DIY PR toolkit for small businesses, Lucy wants to share her wealth of PR and comms experience with people just starting out with public relations, as well as PR book charts too often dominated by male writers.

With so much having changed within the industry and across the globe since the original publication of the book, Lucy tells us the extra advice she would give if she could add another chapter, and what have been the main challenges for her as a PR working through lockdown.

What inspired you to write the book?
A lot of PR books are written by male journalists-turned-PR-experts. I wanted to explain the strategy behind a PR campaign based on my agency experience as well as represent the female PR folk out there. The PR industry is made up of nearly two-thirds women, but this isn’t represented in the Amazon PR book charts.

Hype Yourself by Lucy Werner

In light of how the PR industry has had to adapt in light of the current health pandemic, what would you add if you could include another chapter?
I lightly mention crisis PR in the book and for many businesses, the pandemic did warrant a crisis PR response. I would actually borrow an internal mantra from Mailchimp: ‘Listen Hard, Change Fast’. I would also add that keeping open, honest and regular communication is key. Getting ahead of consumer backlash is always the one. We don’t mind mistakes, but we do want people to own them. And talk through how you are dealing with them, even if it’s just a holding note or message while you figure out a solution – say something.

I also think that beyond the health pandemic, it is especially important for businesses that have now woken up to unconscious bias in their communications. We have learnt a lot in the aftermath of George Floyd, but being actively anti-racist needs to be more than just a black square. It feels like a pivotal moment that must maintain momentum. If I was to write it again, I would definitely look to include more information from a diversity and inclusion expert to help inform businesses of practical steps they can take to not just be anti-racist but to consider all aspects of inclusivity.

How has the COVID-19 impacted your own day-to-day life and work in the industry?
In all honestly, the changes I have made have been my own choice rather than what has been put upon me, such as running ‘Pay what you can afford’ lunchtime workshops. I run my agency from my garden office and we have both PR and a branding side. There was definitely an initial hit and we lost a few projects but I have deliberately moved away from the traditional PR agency model which I don’t think serves the small business and entrepreneur community as well. It means that a lot of the PR work I do is split across workshops, lecturing, coaching as well as direct consultancy work so I have a lot of flexibility in income while I juggled lack of childcare.

What would be your first tip for small businesses looking to start putting a PR strategy together in-house in the current climate?
I walk you through a PR strategy in the first chapter of my book and you can download a free PDF template to complete. But the biggest tip I would give from that as a takeaway is, don’t start with the places you want your press coverage to appear. Start with what your business objectives are and tailor the PR accordingly. It may be that you need to focus on more digital marketing than publicity if your budget is tight.

For you, what are the main advantages for businesses doing their own publicity, rather than bringing in an external PR agency?
No publicist is ever going to have the same passion and knowledge about your business as you do. For me, there is a unique magic energy in the way that business founders are able to tell their own story.

Are there any campaigns you’ve seen from small businesses you’d pinpoint as great examples of no-nonsense PR?
I always cite the two women behind Squiggly Career as an excellent example of a service business smashing their personal branding. The rise of the personal brand has been hard to ignore, particularly during the pandemic and I definitely believe they give straight, no BS advice.

During the pandemic, there were some amazing business pivots from businesses like Crosstown Doughnuts who were also co-founders of independent delivery platform Slerp. Cat Food Cakes, who read my book, also smashed it with her own PR and bagged herself a prime-time slot on the BBC talking about her own business pivot. The sales from this spot of press coverage helped cover her business costs for the following few months!

As someone who trains, blogs, speaks and writes on the subject, do you think anyone can pick up the basics of PR?
Yes – I do. PR isn’t rocket science. At a basic level, it’s finding creative ways to tell a good story. I think it’s a myth that you need loads of great journalist contacts. From my own experiences, and that of people I teach to do it for themselves, the people who succeed are the ones who know how to get straight to the matter at the right time!

You’ve worked with big brands during your time in PR as founder of The Wern – how did you get your own start in PR/what attracted you to the industry?
My older brother helped out Way To Blue with their I.T. when they were based in Broadwick Street and focused only on music online PR. He managed to get me a work experience placement when I was 17 and I fell in love. Even though I was doing the office donkey work, I was having a great time.

PR has a diversity problem – what can those working in the industry do to encourage inclusion on their teams and in their work with clients?
It needs to start from the top down. I know all too well from experience that junior staff fear rocking the boat by raising difficult questions. Senior staff need to be more vocal about this being important to them and inviting constructive feedback and input from their teams. More effort needs to be placed on recruiting work experience, PR apprentices and junior positions from a wider pool and, most importantly, paying them fairly.

When it comes to working with clients, a lot of white able-bodied folk still don’t have the language or confidence to communicate effectively in this area. I believe all communications consultancies have a responsibility to continually train and develop their staff in this area.

How have you noticed the relationship between PR and journalism changing during your career?
I think there is a lot more crossover between PR/journalism and marketing in general with the decline in print media, and the rise of digital media and the opportunities that come with that. I don’t, however, think this has changed the love/hate relationship between journalists and PRs. I just think there is maybe more empathy with people who straddle more than one vocation.

Hype Yourself: A no-nonsense DIY PR toolkit for small businesses is available on Kindle and in paperback on Amazon. Follow Lucy Werner on Twitter @LucyWern, on Instagram @wernchat and check out her work with The Wern on the website.

accessmatters with Sara Hawthorn, founder and managing director of InFusion Comms

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On Tuesday 28 July, our first live accessmatters session took place. We launched accessmatters as a platform to encourage listening, sharing of experience, learning from best practice, and collaboration on the actions that will have greatest positive impact.

For our first virtual event we were joined by Sara Hawthorn, founder and managing director of InFusion Comms and founder of the DisAbility PR Network. Sara is a champion of diversity and her agency recently received the Blueprint Ally Status mark.

Sara told us about her background and gave us insight into life as a deaf individual, from the wonders of BiCROS hearing aids being able to open up the world to her, to the frustration of speaking habits she’s encountered – the big one being don’t cover your mouth when you speak!

InFusion Comms is a small tech agency based in Leeds with an all-female team (for now!) that brings with it questions around improving diversity, encouraging and retaining local talent and how the PR industry can support comms professionals with disabilities.

Sara gave us plenty to think about, especially when it comes to recruitment and making sure the process is accessible to everyone, but also making sure we call out discriminatory behavior when we see it, either by speaking to the person or a line manager.

We had lots of interaction from the audience, which was really positive and there were a great mix of questions coming in, from how to deliver PR campaigns that were inclusive of all abilities to how to support people with disabilities in PR teams and agencies.

Sara gave useful and practical advice, especially when it comes to making sure your events (both in-person and virtual) are accessible to all and shared some great resources from Ideas for Ears.

Vuelio will review how it hosts internal events from now on, starting with adding captions to the recording of this session and reviewing our content and future sign up pages.

Watch our first accessmatters session with Sara Hawthorn in full here.

If you would like to be featured on our accessmatters platform either as a live event or providing content please get in touch with Rebecca Potts.

Starting your own comms agency

5 tips for starting your own comms agency

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This is a guest post from John Ashton, director of Write Arm.

If you’ve spent the last four months at home wondering what the future holds, it’s possible that you’ve thought about starting your own comms agency.

Then you probably thought, what’s the point? We’re heading into a major recession and comms budgets will be slashed, so new agencies will never get off the ground, right?

Wrong. In fact, there’s no better time to start your own agency. Why? Because if you do it the right way – more of which in a moment – you can successfully compete with some of the larger players and create a really attractive proposition for clients.

So, what is the right way? Here are my five essential tips.

1. Make it a kitchen table agency

The clue is in the name, although the truth is that kitchen table agencies can be run from back bedrooms, garden sheds and attics, as well as from kitchen tables. What they all have in common is a flexible working model based around remote-working freelancers rather than staff.

Kitchen table agencies have been proliferating for a few years now, but the COVID-19 crisis has supercharged the trend.

You may have noticed a lot of people are working from home at the moment. And you may also have noticed that 99% of organisations are cool with it. That includes your potential clients.

Don’t hide the fact that you have a kitchen table agency – make a virtue of it. It means you’re lean, flexible and price-competitive. What’s not for clients to like, especially in the age of reduced budgets.

2. Think about culture

It’s a fact – companies with strong, authentic cultures do best. Even if your agency starts life as a one-man band, you should give culture serious thought. Culture isn’t about having a beer fridge and a foosball table. It’s about having values and purpose and living those in everything you do. Your starting point should be your own needs, desires and values.

When I started my agency, Write Arm, I needed maximum flexibility as I had a young family. I also set great store by treating people fairly and in the quality of human relations. So, flexibility, fairness and friendliness were at the core of everything we said and did. It became a central part of our offer, rather than gratuitous waffle on our website. Clients loved it and so too did the freelancers who worked for us.

Don’t view culture as a nice-to-have optional extra. See it rather as the soil from which your agency grows. Believe me, it will make a huge difference.

3. Embrace your competitors

One of my mantras is ‘There’s no such thing is competition’. ‘Oh yes there is!’ I hear you say. But really, there isn’t, at least not for kitchen table agencies. When you scratch beneath the surface, no two agencies do exactly the same thing. And that opens up a lot of scope for co-operation.

Say you’re a tech industry specialist and one of your clients asks whether you have any expertise in financial services. If you have a good network of small agencies then you should be able to deliver someone suitable and make a margin on their work. And, of course, those agencies can hire you in when one of their clients requires your specialism.

Make the effort to grow your network. Talk to all the agencies you can find, even if you’re never likely to work together, because the more people you know, the more doors will open. A few years ago I had a coffee with the owner of a large web development agency, even though it was clear that he was never likely to hire my agency. We got on well and at the end of the meeting he offered to introduce me to a few marketing agencies that he knew. He was as good as his word and within a couple of weeks, one of them had become a regular client. To date, that cappuccino has been worth over £75,000.

4. Get over your fear

If you work in the comms industry, the chances are you’re not very business-savvy. After all, the industry is mainly populated by creative people, who are full of bright ideas, but tend not to be great with spreadsheets and admin.

That was me when I started my agency eight years ago. I wasn’t only clueless about how to run a business, I was also cashless and clientless. Had I listened to my fears, the company would never have got off the ground. Instead I just took the plunge and, what do you know, it worked out. Within a few years the agency was turning over half a million a year.

Believe me, I’m no genius and neither am I an ultra-ambitious succeed-at-all-costs type. In fact, I’m naturally cautious. There’s no real secret to my success. I simply learned on the job. I’m still not great with numbers, admin and numerous other aspects of running a business, but I know enough to get by.

So, if you think you don’t have what it takes to start an agency, I simply say this: ‘If this idiot can do it, then so can you’.

5. Join The KitchenTable Community

Blatant plug alert. If you’d like to explore starting your own comms agency, then I have a suggestion to make: join The KitchenTable Community. It’s a peer-to-peer support group and marketplace that I recently launched for small creative agencies. It’s based on my firm belief in the power of the network and the hive mind.

You get loads of content that will help you to build a successful agency a lot quicker than I did, including a book, a course and document templates. It’s currently free for six months and there’s no obligation to stick around once the very modest monthly charges kick in.

Now get to work on starting that agency!

Find out more about The Kitchen Table Community on the website.

Jane Dunn

A Tasty Baking Blogger Spotlight: Jane Dunn, Jane’s Patisserie

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If you’re already missing the expert baking on display during the course of this year’s Bake Off: The Professionals, don’t despair – Jane Dunn is here with more treats at Jane’s Patisserie. Whether or not the delights of Dalgona coffee and banana bread have drawn you in during lockdown, this blogger has something you’re bound to like – check out her advice for getting a cake-making kit together, her top-tasting recipes and the best things about being a baking blogger.

What keeps you passionate about baking and blogging about it?
Every day I get sent emails, tagged in photos on social media and so on of people baking my recipes with their family, children, friends and more. It’s magical to see people enjoy something together, and if my blog helps that then it’s even better. I am always here to help people with their baking queries, and the good that comes from it is amazing.

Jane Dunn and cake

How have you had to change your approach to blogging, or your content, during the COVID-19 crisis?
As more and more people started baking, there were more questions around recipes to answer – substituting ingredients due to shortages, recipes for people with little equipment as they are new to it, easier recipes for kids to get involved with and more. I’ve reduced the recipes I am producing to focus more on engaging with followers to help them out!

Have you tried any of the recipes that have gone viral during lockdown?
I think one of the only ones I have tried is the Dalgona Coffee trend as my husband LOVES coffee and I wanted to see what I could do with it. It’s so tasty!

What the worst bake you’ve ever attempted to make?
Probably the worst thing I have ever baked was my first attempt at a vegan meringue – it was absolutely inedible! I’ve cracked it now, but it took it’s time.

Best tasting thing you’ve ever made?
My NYC Chocolate Chip cookies are by far my favourite recipe I’ve ever made – they have been SO popular since posting, and I have made them countless times as I just love them so much!

For those who haven’t yet started baking, which basic tools would you suggest they stock the kitchen up with?
Weighing scales, cake tins, and basic tools such as spatula/whisk – and if they can, even the cheapest electric mixer can make things so much easier.

Favourite TV chefs?
I love so many but Nadiya Hussain, Juliet Sear, Tom Kerridge and Mary Berry are favourites, of course!

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I love to collaborate with brands that I genuinely love and adore. I don’t do it that often, but I love creating recipes with the brands I use in my daily baking anyway. Whether it’s just social media work, or a full recipe post, I love it to be authentic!

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
I personally find email the best way to contact me as you can get all the info in one place and it’s much better – DMing on social media is an easy way for me to miss it, which is unfortunate. If they have a great idea that they need inspiration for, or they know what they want already, I am up for having a chat to see if it will work!

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether baking-related or not)?
I love Alice Fevronia, My Kitchen Drawer, Biscuit Bases and SO many more!!

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PRCA Board of Directors 2020

PRCA makes updates to its board of directors

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The PRCA has revealed changes to its Board of Directors following last week’s announcement of amendments to its governance structure.

Joining the board are Kamiqua Pearce, Rimmi Shah, Ondine Whittington and Hugh Taggart MPRCA. Barbara Phillips joined last week following her announcement as Race and Ethnicity Equity Board Chair. Standing down from the board are Tony Langham, Jon Hughes, David Gallagher and Ed Williams.

‘I am deeply grateful for the vast contributions Tony, Jon, David and Ed have made as PRCA Board members,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham of the departing board members.

‘Their desire to inspire and fast-track the next generation of leaders has never been more evident. I’m delighted to welcome Barbara, who joined last week, and Kam, Rimmi, Ondine and Hugh, who all have a proven track record in championing the aspirations we hold as a Board.’

Those joining the board bring a wealth of industry experience. Rimmi Shah is partner and board director at Lansons, advising senior teams and boards on corporate comms, public policy and stakeholder engagement. She also serves as an Advisory Board member of the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.

Kamiqua Pearce is a senior PR and communications consultant, a BME PR PRO mentor and the founder and CEO of Coldr and the UK Black Comms Network.

Golin and Virgo Health group managing director Ondine Whittington brings experience across pharmaceutical, OTC and the public sector.

Hugh Taggart is global crisis practice chair for Edelman and leads London’s Corporate Affairs practice, spanning its Corporate Reputation, Public Affairs and Financial Communications teams.

Barbara Phillips brings over 20 years of experience in strategic communications and is a certified NLP (neuro linguistic programming) coach, as well as an accredited Mediator and a director of a specialised teambuilding and leadership organisation. Barbara also sits on the advisory board of an education social enterprise teaching Black British History in schools and corporate settings and is current sitting Magistrate.

‘All of the changes underway are essential to delivering on the commitments we made and to set the example for the wider industry,’ added PRCA chairman Jim Donaldson.

‘I am thrilled to welcome Barbara, Ondine, Hugh, Kam and Rimmi. All of them bring exceptional expertise and leadership as we continue to navigate through the COVID-era and all of the challenges of the last few months. It is vital for the industry to have strong and diverse perspectives on the Board to tackle these critical issues and to lead from the front.’

Read more about changes to the PRCA Board of Directors here and our interview with Race and Ethnicity Equity Board chair Barbara Phillips.

Jane Austin

PR Spotlight on Jane Austin, founder of Persuasion Communications

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Our idea of good company is ‘the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation’ – hence today’s Spotlight on Jane Austin, founder of Persuasion Communications.

Jane launched her comms company consultancy 12 years ago, after time in the journalism industry working across media, design and advertising publications. Much has changed since then, across both the media and PR (particularly over the last three months), but for Jane, some things stay the same: ‘if a journalist doesn’t reply to an email, don’t nag them’. Also: the gift of a Shewee doesn’t tend to get the same reaction as a takeaway coffee.

Tell us a bit about your career and what led to the launch of Persuasion
Before founding Persuasion 12 years ago, I was an editor and journalist on advertising, media and design titles and I launched my own company to pay the bills after over a decade of being a single mum on a journalist salary. But I was able to turn it into an editorially focused content comms agency and something I really love doing.

What advantages do a background in journalism bring to your PR work?
It means I understand what journalists have to deal with every day and the pressures they are under – if a journalist doesn’t reply to an email, don’t nag them. I can also more easily pre-empt what they might need or look for in terms of ideas, news, stories, features, opinion and content, which certainly helps.

Are you working from home at the moment, and what are the plans for returning to the office?
Yes, I am holed up in my flat in Stoke Newington on non-stop Zoom calls. I’ve done a couple of meetings in parks with clients, giving my female clients and journalists Shewees as well as takeaway coffee. Bit of a mixed reaction, to be honest. It’s too early to contemplate a full return to the office, although we’re working on a plan involving personalised care packages for those who want to return. There’s no pressure on those who don’t.

Which pieces of tech have really been helping you work through the current crisis?
It’s been a good time to familiarise myself with the Hoover. I’ve also been mending things round the house, rather my neighbour has, like lamps, and dusting off gadgets bought years ago that I’ve never used, including a foot spa, an onion spiraliser and a posture corrector which sends an electric shock through your spine when you slouch your back. My flat looks like a Ronco commercial.

Do you think the industry can return to the way things were before?
Realistically and unfortunately, I don’t think much will change. There’s plenty of talk about being kinder to each other and sustainability moving to the top of peoples’ agenda but if recent events have taught us anything it’s that people don’t learn from history. We saw the queues outside Primark and JD Sports the minute the lockdown on essential shops was lifted and now everyone is back in their cars and pollution levels are going back up. This pandemic has exposed just how unequal our society is and nothing’s being done to fix that. My big hope is that the momentum behind the Black Lives Matter movement is sustained and we finally see some actual change when it comes to racial injustice and the dominance of privilege.

The PR industry has a diversity problem – what can agencies do to create diverse teams and support colleagues into higher positions?
Do exactly that, hire ethnically diverse people and promote them into top positions. I am all in favour of positive discrimination to make this happen. No company can call itself a success unless it truly mirrors society in its staff at all levels.

Which particular sectors among your client base do you see making the quickest recovery post-pandemic?
I fear it’s too early to be able to predict who will make the quickest recovery – I’m worried I’m sounding so negative here so far – but those that adopt new ways of thinking or are able to pivot themselves and expand into new areas will have the advantage. For example, a client of mine, content and experience agency The Creative Engagement Group, recently expanded into e-learning.

Cumbersome and excessive processes, along with monstrous narcissism, thankfully have no place in the work environment we currently find ourselves in. We’re all just trying to survive, look after our people, collaborate and do good work.

What do you love most about working in the PR industry, and would you recommend this as a career?
My favourite part is getting to work with my mates. It’s a tricky time to be recommending PR as a career, because it’s not fun to be running a business in this industry right now. Also, we’re not a PR company in the conventional sense. Persuasion is a comms company and strategic consultancy with network of journalists, writers, consultants and media experts working with clients to generate thought leadership and execute ideas around everything from podcasts to documentaries. This approach makes things more interesting and satisfying for everyone who works with us. I hope.

And, we have to ask, is Persuasion your favourite Jane Austen novel, and do you have a favourite Jane Austen character?
I normally get asked if I’ve written any good books lately or if I know Colin Firth. Personally, I prefer the Brontës. Mr Rochester over Mr Darcy any day, although I would concur that the mad ex-wife in the attic is problematic. But my all-time favourite Jane Austen character is Elinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility, who conceals her emotions so well that the people around her only get the occasional glimpse of just how agonising it is to have to be the practical one all the time. I just want to give her a hug.

Find out more about Persuasion Communications on the website and follow Jane Austin @JaneAus.

Business stress

Over half of leaders are stressed about their business

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56% of business leaders describe themselves as ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ stressed when it comes to their business or organisation, according to a Pulse Check from engagement consultancy Question & Retain.

The survey of 1,094 C-suite executives, 50% of which were from SMEs, between 14-27 July asked: ‘How stressed do you feel about your business/organisation at present’.

The findings are unsurprising, considering the difficulties facing all industries in the wake of COVID-19 and the build up to the UK’s exit from the European Union – summarised by one respondent as ‘the greatest time of uncertainty in 21 years of business’. Answering how stressed they were:

• 8% responded extremely
• 48% very
• 12% fairly
• 24% a little
• 8% not at all

For what the respondents are most worried about, the majority cited the possibility of a recession. Encouragingly for the wider market, none of those taking part in the poll were worried about their own position:

• 61% were most worried about a recession
• 9% Brexit/trading problems
• 22% Second wave/local lockdowns
• 4% Debts/bankruptcy
• 0% Your own job
• 4% Other

‘It’s the lack of any visibility that worries me the most,’ said another respondent to the survey. ‘The fluctuating pressures on our clients’ own businesses mean it’s hard to plan too far ahead. This needs a more agile approach and not being afraid to change course mid-stream. So far, our client base has been stable(ish), but who knows what September will look like.’

‘Clearly business leaders have had to dig deep adapting to a myriad of circumstances that none of us could have imagined just six months ago,’ said Question & Retain CEO and founder Annabel Dunstan of the results.

‘As we emerge from the first lockdown, C-Suite must now shift focus from reactive actions to planning for scenarios and keeping an eye on the longer term strategy. With stress levels running so high, a focus on mental health and wellbeing will be key to ensure leaders do not burn out. With nearly two thirds of leaders most worried about a recession, energies need to be directed at really understanding the market and what customers need and want. No mean feat, but more than ever, listening and gauging sentiment is critical.’

Find out more about Question & Retain on the website.

CIPR Influencer Marketing Panel

CIPR releases influencer marketing panel guides

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CIPR’s Influencer Marketing Panel has released three skill guides with updated regulations to help PRs practice influencer marketing ethically, legally and in line with the association’s Code of Conduct.

Compiled in consultation with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), ‘Introduction to Influencer Marketing’, ‘PR and Influencer Marketing – the rules and regulators’ and ‘PRs as Influencers – how to ethically disclose your relationships with clients and causes without misleading your online audience’ can be downloaded as PDFs.

The guides’ updated regulations include detail on why #client doesn’t provide enough disclosure without the addition of #ad and how important transparency is for legalities as well as honesty. Further clarification and outlining of requirements when sharing influencer content as an agency or in-house team will continue to be shared by the CIPR and Influencer Marketing Panel to encourage best practice.

‘One-in-three PR practitioners undertake influencer marketing activities, yet most lack confidence in relevant skills and experience,’ CIPR Influencer Marketing Panel co-chair Scott Guthrie said of the need for updated skill guides on the subject.

For co-chair Deb Sharratt, trust from clients is as important as confidence: ‘Knowing the rules and regulations regarding disclosure is paramount to this so that we can be the trusted PR advisors that our employers and clients need us to be.’

‘In the eyes of the law we’re all influencers now and have the ability to influence others,’ believes co-chair Anne-Marie Lacey. ‘We must all abide by the same rules around disclosure.’

Download the three skill guides on influencer marketing on the CIPR website.

Barbara Phillips

Spotlight on Barbara Phillips, chair for the PRCA Race and Ethnicity Equity Board

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‘Black and Brown people currently working in the PR and communications industry have a rod running up our spines made of some otherworldly material,’ says Barbara Phillips, Chair of the PRCA’s newly launched Race and Ethnicity Equity Board (REEB).

Aiming to reform an industry that has been too slow to undo the status-quo of non-inclusive boardrooms and leadership teams that harm practitioners with microaggressions, prejudicial hiring practices and unfair promotional decisions, the board has set out its terms of reference for making long-overdue changes. As Chair, Barbara shares how the board’s work has begun, how lockdown triggered some much-needed reflection within the PR and communications sector and what it would take for her to recommend public relations as a career to young people in 2020.

What are you most looking forward to getting started on in the role?
As a board we published a terms of reference document that covers a number of pressing issues within PR and comms. So, I am most looking forward to there being a time when full access to senior leadership industry opportunities does not stop dead (for the most part) when it comes to Black, Brown and ethnically diverse practitioners. It doesn’t seem to matter how talented or qualified we may be or how much we contort ourselves in an effort to ‘fit in’.

What do you see as the main challenges to REEB’s aims and how will the board tackle them?
The main overall challenge is a complete lack of desire to even have a conversation about race much less tackle the devastating effect it has on different communities and the industry. We have several strategies to tackle them including partnering with organisations already adopting best practices, and using the influence and reach of the PRCA.

Tell us a bit about the other board members you’re working with and what they’ll be bringing to the team?
We are all equal in our passion, dedication, commitment and determination to deliver at least the beginnings of racial equity across the PR and communications industry. We are all agreed that the current status quo of ‘all white leadership and decision makers’ is unsustainable and we refuse to let future talented PR and comms professionals enter our industry with close to nil chance of succeeding to its highest echelons because of their race. I am just the mouthpiece!

In the launch for REEB, you mentioned the need to step away from using ‘BAME’ as a descriptor – why should other industry bodies consider taking the same step?
I think that is for each organisation to decide. But it is worth mentioning that many leaders, individuals, and influencers have voiced their deep displeasure at being referred to as BAME. As we mentioned at our launch, it rather clumsily lumps together whole communities, whose lived experiences are vastly different, especially around race. It essentially means other than white; white being the centre. Best practice dictates you listen to your audience/client/customer. We are all those things – that is why the decision lies with each organisation.

How did you originally get started in public relations/communications?
I worked on events within the Black community including the Notting Hill Carnival, and Afro Hair & Beauty. I then studied for my Masters in Communications Management, ran my own small Diversity/integrated comms consultancy for a few years, then went in-house as head of comms in the City.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the PR industry – how has it impacted your work, personally?
For many independent consultants, it stopped the flow of work dead in its tracks. Lots of people did lots of different things. I started volunteering at an education social enterprise, helping with their corporate strategy. I now sit on their advisory board. Having more time meant I was able to help set up the REEB and accept the role of Chair.

Do you think the industry can return to the way things were before the pandemic?
It can quite easily but I doubt there is much appetite for that to happen. Flexible working, soft skills, and huge doses of humility because of the stark experience of lockdown, have forever (I hope) changed the communications industry for the better.

What are some of the projects you’ve been a part of during your career that you’re most proud of?
All of the Black organisations that gave me their account when I had my own consultancy. Getting PR coverage for Black organisations in the late 90s was challenging, to put it mildly! I did a stint at the NHS that was good for the soul. But if I am honest, I am most proud of being involved in REEB and being part of the long, long, long overdue change. Nothing beats that.

How has the working relationship between PRs and journalists changed during your time in the industry?
Honestly, I have worked more on culture change and transformation inside organisations for some time. Most comms teams are now integrated so I would provide content, messages and news from the inside, but my colleagues would place it externally. I do shudder when I think about my past experience of dealing with journalists. I found it a grim experience, even when I worked on some well-known brands. I think it’s better now.

What do you love most about working in the PR and communications industry, and would you still recommend this as a career?
I think I was always destined for communications. English was my best subject at school, I studied media and linguistics at university, I used to write lyrics for a band (don’t ask) and I love to tell a funny story. I love being around people and hearing their stories and their view of the world that is no doubt different to mine. I suppose it’s the human stories I love the most and being able to retell them in a way that audiences can feel a part of.

Being brutally honest, I cannot in good faith currently recommend this industry to young joyful fresh-faced enthusiastic hopefuls unless they are white. Black and Brown faces will endure an uphill struggle for recognition, experience death by a thousand cuts (microaggressions), and be paid less than their counterparts because of their race, all of which may lead to mental wellbeing issues that affect their performance that, in turn, is weaponised against them through toxic workplace policies. Sound inviting? Know that as Black and Brown people currently working in the PR and communications industry, we have a rod running up our spines made of some otherworldly material. But the REEB are fully aware of the current environment and we plan to be on hand to mentor and support practitioners currently in the industry and the next/future generations coming through.

Find out more about the work of the Race & Ethnicity Board here on the PRCA website.